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The Real Story On Michael Vick
Posted by Brian
I can’t take credit for this post as I recieved it in an e-mail forward, but it is dead on point. I find myself guilty of many of things mentioned in this post.
“All the breathless debates about Michael Vick are missing the point. The bigger issue has nothing to do with whether or not he deserves the right of due process, or whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should suspend him, or whether Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank should enable him or give him tough love. It’s not even about whether or not Nike should be launching another designer shoe with his name on it.
All of those are minor distractions from a much larger and far more significant issue. Here’s the real brainteaser that we need to get a handle on: How did someone like Michael Vick ever come to exist?
Are we really ready to have that conversation? Do we dare explore how a young man of such unique athletic gifts and such obvious on-field marketing appeal was allowed to turn into just another unfortunate mug shot and potential ruined life? How did that remarkable athlete get a $100 million contract with the Falcons, become Nike’s poster boy, rake in endorsements from airlines and cell phone companies, then find himself on the verge of blowing it all because of an incredible tale that seems to come straight out of some hardcore gangsta rap video?
We can save the “presumption of innocence” conversation for another time. As improbable as it might sound, technically, there’s a possibility that Vick actually could own a house, rent it out to his relatives and be dumb or naive enough to not know that there was a dog-fighting enterprise going on in the back yard. The U.S. Constitution provides Vick with the right and opportunity to prove that preposterous possibility to a jury of his peers.
I am far more interested in how it all came apart for Vick and why it keeps coming apart for too many black athletes in America. The ultimate symbols of black athletes in our society used to be men of substance and positive image. Men with social conscience and resolve such as Jackie Robinson, Curt Flood, Jim Brown, Bill Russell and John Thompson used to be our heroes. They carried a burden and deep-rooted responsibility to portray themselves with a sense of dignity, pride and purpose. Even the cool, counter-culture rebels such as Muhammad Ali and Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood for something more meaningful than a multimillion-dollar shoe deal.
But somewhere between Jackie Robinson and Michael Vick, things got all fouled up. “Street cred” became the anthem of the modern black athlete, this misguided notion that the only way to appeal to the young demographic of the sneaker-buying public was to adopt the negative attitudes of the thug life popularized by black hip-hop/gangster rappers. According to the 18-page federal indictment, Vick is accused of sponsoring the sort of gruesome dogfighting enterprise that is readily identified as a part of the dark side of that culture.
So that’s how someone like Michael Vick came into existence. He got hijacked, and we all let it happen. We let it happen by passively condoning this mess. We did it when we turned Allen Iverson into a marketing icon and rejected someone like Grant Hill because he lacked “street cred.” We allowed it to happen every time we gave Vick the benefit of the doubt when he kept stumbling and offering weak alibis for his stupidity. We allowed it to happen slowly, insidiously over the past 20 years. The problem is the hijacking of African-American culture by the hip-hop generation that has helped glorify every rotten, foul and disgusting racial stereotype it took generations to eradicate.
The minstrels used to show up in black face, shuckin’ and jivin’ like Amos and Andy or Stepin Fetchit. Now they come in baggy pants sagging over their butts, glamorizing thug life and prison fashion, legitimizing derogatory racial insults into the mainstream, and convincing an entire generation that this is the measure of true blackness and anyone who bucks this system is either a racist, hopelessly out of touch or a sad Uncle Tom.
Fortunately, not everyone is buying into this nonsense. We’re at war, and we have identified the enemy. “We have to start making sure folks understand who the ‘Toms’ really are,” says my man on the other side of the state, Kansas City Star
columnist Jason Whitlock. “It’s the gangsters on the corner who are killing black folks. It’s the idiots who are on TV rapping about it and glorifying it. We have to make black people understand those are the real sellouts, not the ones who refuse
to accept it.”
I agree with the sentiments of this post. Alot has changed since the 60’s and 70’s. The last pro athlete that tried to make a stand was Craig Hodges-a 3 time three point champion with the Chicago Bulls, who was let go in 1992. Check out The Case Of Hodges Vs. the N.B.A.
*Please Note: Archive articles do not include photos, charts or graphics. More information. December 25, 1996, Wednesday
By IRA BERKOW (NYT); Sports Desk
Late Edition - Final, Section B, Page 11, Column 1, 780 words
I fully agree with this article. Think about it: what young African-American role model do we (I am 22 y.o.) have nowadays? I miss times like the era of the OTHER Micheal, Micheal Jordon. He did his thing knowing his responsiblity to fans and those who looked up to him from a far. I’m an Atlanta native and an Atlanta Falcon’s fan- better yet a fan of our innovative QB Mike Vick. Now, I find myself wishing he was never in this situation and wondering who will be our inspiring QB this season. -really sucks, man.
FIRST OF ALL U CAN NOT BLAME THUG LIFE OR RAP MUSIK FOR THE DECLINE OF THA BLACK SPORTS STAR AND THE REASON ALLEN IVERSON WAS MARKETED OVER GRANT HILL WAS BECUSE HE WAS A WAY BETTER PLAYER WHO ACTUALLY PLAYED GRANT HILL SAT OUT LIKE 3 YEARS AFTER HIS WIFE DID THAT STRANGER IN MY HOUSE VEDIO “PUSSY WHIPED NIGGA” AND AS FAR AS NIGGAZ IN THA HOOD BEIN SELL OUTS THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN REAL UNCLE TOMS P.O.V. NIGGAZ THAT ANT TUFF ENOUGH 2 LIVE THIS THUG LIFE WILL HATE ON IT BUT OUR P.O.V. IZ THAT THA LAWS THAT WHITE PEOPLE MADE ARE MADE 2 PUT US IN JAIL AND STOP US FROM BEIN RICH OR HAVEING FUN MOST OF THA RICH WHITE FAMILYS IN U.S. HISTORY MADE THERE MONEY OFF BOOTLEGGING AND RACKETTERING SO WE LIVE BY OUR OWN RULES AND LAWS THAT FIT US NOT EVERYBODY CAN GO 2 COLLAGE AND LIVE LIKE THA HUXTABLES SOME HAVE 2 MAKE A WAY OUTTA NO WAY AND PLEASE BELIVE AS MUCH AS U UPPITY NEGROS HATE US WE HATE YALL JUS AS MUCH
Freeze. I think you just proved the articles point.
This artical is so true. I my opinion Vick didn’t do anything wrong. I could imagine that he bought a house, then as a sign of good faith he let some relatives or friends stay there. All he was doing was looking out for his family. He is only a victom of having niggerish family. There are two types of black people. African americans and, those still with the nigga mintality. Those are the ones who are still enslaved in their minds.
I have to say, that I could not agree with you in 100% regarding s Really Going On, but it’s just my opinion, which could be wrong
I really think that this is an interesting article!! Two thumbs up. I’m a 32 y.o black man whom really loves life and our race, and articles like this is really what we need to read and to view others opinions. My comments are neutral and I,m going to only give my opinions of what I think. “I think we as a people really need to stop pointing the fingers at each other and come together as one (1). I have a good job and I’m also in school right now (medical field) and by GOD’S GRACE I’m doing ok. But just a few years ago I was in the streets hanging with friends and we were known as thugs, because we sold drugs. Don’t get me wrong, I ‘m not proud of nothing that I did then, nor do I regret anything that I’ve done, because I feel like everything that you do should be presented as a learning situation, whether it’s crossing the street, smoking for the first time, or if it’s just walking around with a knot of cash in your pocket. Now, I don’t know whether Vick is really the guilty party or not, but what I do know is ” we should not judge this man in negative way, nor anyone else in a bad way. Instead of judging them, let’s try reaching out to them and coming together so we can all educate each other, because we all have values and good within ourself and for the most part, we don’t know other people situations. “So how can we judge them”. Oh yeah as far as that sell out thing goes to me, “Sell outs are those people who don’t try to respect or understand other people situations.
tarus_jackson@yahoo.com
That’s real talk justice if u 2 L 7 to get down wit it step aside and let real niggaz talk that shit if Vick had realer niggaz round em he would of not of been in that situation where all them fake niggaz round em turned bitch and snitched on tha man real niggaz would of not put there 100 million dollor homie in tha situation where he would of even been callled in on that